Multipurpose sports equipment



Oct. 24, 1967 H. B. FLANNiGAN MULTIPURPOSE SPORTS EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 18, 1965 I NVENTOR.

N 5 NEW M w/p m AM HARRY B. F L

1967 H. B. FLANNIGAN MULTIPURPOSE SPORTS EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 Filed Aug. 18, 1965 INVENTOR. FRY B. FLAN/V/GAN WM V ATTORNEYS U FIG. B

United States Patent Ofiice 3,348,247 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 3,348,247 MULTIPURPOSE SPORTS EQUIPMENT Harry B. Flannigan, Rte. 1, Box 244, Iron, Minn. 55751 Filed Aug. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 480,618 6 Claims. (Cl. 9-310) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE Multipurpose sports equipment including a generally rectangular-shaped body formed of a sheet of stiff mate rial and having an arcuately bent front portion, a pair of elongated rod-like support members affixed to the underside of the body to form runners, a pair of elongated floats fixedly attached to said body adjacent either side thereof and forming upright sides, and a second pair of elongated rod-like members removably attached to the upper surface of the floats. The second pair of elongated rod-like members are adapted to be attached to the first pair of rod-like members to form a four legged, verti cally upright frame to be utilized as an elevated seat.

This invention relates to sports equipment which may be utilized for a multitude of purposes and more particularly to apparatus which may be utilized as a snow sled, water sled, elevated seat or tent frame.

When a sportsman travels afield he is often in need of a multitude of diiferent devices. As an example an elevated seat is of great use to a deer hunter during the actual hunting while a sled is of great value while bringing a deer carcass out of the woods. Also, for ice fishermen or the like a sled is of great value in transporting equipment on and off the lake while a windbreak or tent adds greatly to the fishermans comfort while he is fishing. In still another instance, during camping or extended fishing trips, a group of people may have too much equipment to carry in a single boat in which case a water sled, that may be loaded with equipment and towed behind the boat during travel and converted to a shelter for people or equipment upon arrival at their destination, is extremely valuable.

The present multipurpose sports equipment is easily and quickly converted to a snow or water sled, an elevated seat, a tent, or a multitude of other devices useful to a sportsman. The present apparatus is completely selfcontained so that it may 'be utilized for any one of the multitude of purposes at any time and without prior notice. This is extremely important since a sportsman might not be inclined to pack all of the accessories whereupon a use might arise for which the sportsman is not prepared. Besides being self-contained the present apparatus is lightweight for easy handling and is quickly assembled into any one of its plurality of forms.

It is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved multipurpose sports equipment.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide multipurpose sports equipment which is self-contained so that a sportsman always has all of the components readily available.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide multipurpose sports equipment which is lightweight and easy to handle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide multipurpose sports equipment which is easily assembled into a plurality of forms.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims, and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the present apparatus assembled in the form of a sled;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat smaller view in perspective of the present apparatus assembled in the form of an elevated seat;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view as seen from the line 33 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side View of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged top view of the apparatus assembled as shown in FIG. 2, parts thereof removed and shown in section;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view as seen from the line 77 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view as seen from the line 8-8 in FIG. 7.

In the figures the numeral 10 designates a sheet of stiff material, such as aluminum or the like, having an arcuately turned-up front end 11 which forms the body of the device. Two runners 12 and 13, which in this embodiment are made of a hollow cylindrical material such as pipe or the like, are fixedly attached to the underside of the sheet 10 in some manner such as welding or the like to present a smooth lower surface. The runners 12 and 13 have an arcuately turned-up front end which matches the turnedup front end 11 of the sheet 10 to produce a sled-like assembly. The sheet 10 and runners 12, 13 are arcuately turned-up at any desired smooth angle to allow the assembly to slide smoothly over obstacles, snow or water.

A bar 14 passes through a hole adjacent the forward end of each of the runners 12 and 13 and is fixedly attached thereto so as to be substantially perpendicular to each of the runners 12 and 13. Bar 14 forms a handle to which various devices such as ropes, etc., can be attached for pulling the sled. Also, bar 14 has portions 15 projecting outwardly on either side of runners 12 and 13 the usefulness of which will be explained presently.

A pair of elongated substantially tubular floats 18 and 19 are fixedly attached adjacent either outer edge of the sheet 10 on the side opposite runners 12, 13 so as to form upright sides thereon. The floats 18 and 19 are in general constructed so as to be watertight and are filled with some light material 20, which may be styrOfoam, air, etc. A portion of the float 18 at the rear thereof does not have any of the light material 20 therein and a watertight cover 21 is hingedly attached over the end thereof to provide a compartment 22 for the storage of accessories.

A pair of legs 25 and 26 are formed of an elongated hollow material and have an axially turned-up end in a manner similar to the runners 12 and 13. The legs 25 and 26 are normally stored along the upper edge of the floats 18 and 19 respectively and substantially parallel to the runners 12 and 13. The legs 25 and 26 are attached to the upper surface of the floats 18 and 19 by some means such as clamps 27, which are made of a somewhat resilient material. The clamps 27 are pushed into holes in the top of the floats 18 and 19, which are slightly smaller in size than a cross section of the clamps 27. After the clamps 27 are pushed into the holes in the floats 18 and 19 they expand to their normal size and hold the legs 25 and 26 rigidly in place. The legs 25 and 26 may be removed from the floats 18 and 19 by simply pulling upwardly thereon when it is desired to use the present equipment in a different assembly.

When it is desired to use the present equipment for some other assembly, such as the elevated seat illustrated in FIG. 2, the following additional apparatus is utilized. A bifurcated or substantially Y-shaped yoke 30 has a main body 31 which fits coaxially into the end of either of the legs 25 or 26. After which a pin 32 is inserted perpendicular to the body31 of the yoke 30 and the leg 25 or 26 into a hole therethrough. Thus, the yoke 30 is fixedly attached to the end of the leg 25 or 26 with the bifurcated portion extending axially therefrom. The

Y or bifurcated portion of the yoke so consists of a pair of branches 33 and 34 which are spaced apart a suflicient distance to receive the end of bar 14 therebetween. To assemble the elevated seat illustrated in FIG. 2 a yoke 30 is fixedly attached to the end of each of the legs and 26 after which the branches 33 and 34 of the yoke 31) are placed over the ends 15 of the bar 14 so that the leg 25 is on one end 1-5 of the bar 14 and the leg 26 is on the other end 15 of the bar 14. Each end 15 of the bar 14 has a hole therethrough perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof. The bifurcated end of the yoke 30 has a hole through each of the branches 33 and 34 which are coaxial with each other. When the yoke 30 is placed over the end 15 the holes therethrough are all aligned so that the pin 35 can be placed therethrough. Thus, the legs 25 and 26 are pivotally attaced to the ends 15 of the bar 14 for limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the bar 14.

Each of the runners 12 and 13 and each of the legs 25 and '26 have two extensions 40 and 41 associated therewith. Extension 40 is an elongated tubular member having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the runners 12, 13 and legs 25, 26 so that it may be telescoped easily therein. Extension 41 is an elongated tubular member having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of extension 40 so that it may be easily telescoped therein. A pin 42 is provided for each of the runners 12 and 13 and legs 25 and 26 which fits into a hole adjacent the rear end thereof and maintains extensions 40 and 41 telescoped therein. Thus, in the stored position extensions 40 and 41 are telescoped into the runners 12, 13 or legs 25, 26. When it is desired to utilize the present equipment in the form of an elevated seat such as illustrated in FIG. 2 the extensions 40 and 41 are extended to the desired distance. It should be understood that, while the extensions cannot be longer than the straight portion of the runners 12, 13 or legs '25, 26, they can be shorter if desired and, while only two extensions 40 and 41 are illustrated, more can be utilized if desired.

When one of the, extensions 40 or '41 is extended outwardly the desired distance a clamp generally designated 45 is attached to the extension 40 or 41 to retain it in the desired position and prevent telescoping thereof and the consequent collapsing of the elevated seat. The clamp 45 consists of a pair of matching semi-cylindrical members 46 and 47 which are hingedly attached along one longitudinal edge thereof, illustrated at 48 in FIG. .3. A lip or flange 49 extends radially outwardly adjacent the other longitudinal edge on the member 46 The flange 49 has a short bar 50 attached thereto for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamp'45.

The member 47 has a .lip 51 extending radially outwardly adjacent its free longitudinal edge. The lip 51 has a groove '52 centrally located therein through which the bar 50 extends. The free end of the bar 50 is eccentrically attached to a solid cylindrical member 53 for pivotal movement of the member 53 relative to the bar 50 about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the clamp 45. A handle 54 is fixedly attached to the cylindrical member '53, in the present embodiment the handle 54 is an integral portion of the cylinder 53, so as to provide a cam-like action of the cylinder 53 against the flange 51 on the member 47.

When the handle 54 is rotated counterclockwise, re ferring to FIG. 3, away from the member 47 the cam action of the cylinder 53 loosens the bar 50 between the flange 49 and the flange 51 whereby the clamp 45 may be removed from the extension 40 on which it is illustrated. When the handle 54 is rotated clockwise into juxtaposition with the member 47 the bar 50 pulls the flange 49 into juxtaposition with the flange 51 and the semi-cylindrical members 46 and 47 are tightened around the extension 40. This quick-acting clamp 45 is utilized to maintain all of the extensions 46 and 41 in their desired positions, as illustrated inFIG. 2.

Each of the members 46 and 47 of the clamp 45 has a threaded hole extending radially therethrough. These radial holes in the clamp 45 are adapted to have a screw eye 55 threaded therein, as illustrated in FIG. 3. The screw eyes 55 may then have chains 56 or the like attached thereto. The chain 56 act as tension supports to prevent the legs 25, 26 and the runners 12, 13 from spreading apart more than the desired amount. The chains 56 may also be utilized as steps by the sportsman when ascending to a seat 57 positioned at the upper ends of the legs 25 and 26.

In the present embodiment the seat 57 is a sheet of flexible material, such as canvas or the like, having a plurality of loops 58 along the edges thereof. The legs 25, 26 extend through the loops 58 in the seat 57 and the seat 57 is positioned over the curved portion of the legs 25, 26 so that the major portion of the force is downward rather than longitudinally along the legs 25, 26. Thus, the seat 57 is maintained in its elevated position and will not slide down the legs 25, 26. As an additional safety feature a clamp 45 may be positioned at the lower extremity of the seat 57 on each of the legs 25, 26 to insure nonsli'din g.

In the event the present equipment is to be utilized as a shelter a piece of canvas can be fitted over the outer surface of the runners 12, 13 and the legs 25, 26 to form a tent-like enclosure. If desirable, additional legs similar to legs 25, 26 can be included with the equipment and attached to the ends 15 of the bar 1-4 by means of yokes 30 so that a tent with a substantially round base can be constructed.

Thus, multipurpose sports equipment has been disclosed which can be utilized as a snow or water sled, an elevated seat, a tent, or many other purposes which will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In addition, the present equipment is self-contained because the extensions 49, 41'telescope into the runners '12, 1'3 and legs 25, 26, the legs 25, 26 connect to the upper surface of the floats 18, 19 when not in use and the chains 56, clamps 45, seat 57, etc., are stored in the compartment 22 in float 18 when not in use. Besides being self-contained the present equipment is extremely light since all of the legs 25, 26 and runners 11, 12 are constructed of light hollow material. .Also, the present equipment is simple and quick to assemble in any desired form because of the various connecting means disclosed.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of this invention, further modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art. .I desire it to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular forms shown and I intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Multipurpose sports equipment comprising:

(a) four elongated support members each having one end arcuately bent;

(b) a body formed of a sheet of stiff material arcuately bent at one end and attached to two of said support members in spaced apart substantially parallel relationship forming a sled; and

(c) means for attaching the arcuately bent ends of said support members in a fixed relationship to form two inverted generally U-shaped leg members cooperating with ,said body to form a four-legged, vertically upright frame.

2. The multipurpose sports equipment set forth in claim 1 having in additiona plurality of watertight floats attached to the body adjacent either side thereof forming upright sides.

3. The multipurpose sports equipment set forth in claim 2 wherein at least one of the floats has a compartment therein for storage of accessory equipment.

4. The multipurpose sports equipment set forth in claim 1 wherein the support members are hollow and contain telescoping extensions and having in addition means for locking said extensions in an extended position.

5. The multipurpose sports equipment set forth in claim 1 having in addition a seat associated with at least two of said support members for maintaining a person in an elevated position when said equipment is formed into a multilegged frame.

6. Multipurpose sports equipment comprising:

(a) a sled including (1) a pair of hollow runners having a-rcuately tumed-up front ends and having telescoping extensions contained therein,

(2) a body formed of a sheet of stiif material arcuately turned up at the front end thereof and fixedly attached to the upper portions of said runners, and

( 3) a pair of enlongated watertight floats fixedly position.

extensions to maintain said extensions in a desired References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Simon.

Martin 280--l2 Anderson 280- Mullenax '70 2O BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, Assistant Examiner, 

1. MULTIPURPOSE SPORTS EQUIPMENT COMPRISING: (A) FOUR ELONGATED SUPPORT MEMBERS EACH HAVING ONE END ARCUATELY BENT; (B) A BODY FORMED OF A SHEET OF STIFF MATERIAL ARCUATELY BENT AT ONE END AND ATTACHED TO TWO OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP FORMING A SLED; AND (C) MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE ARCUATELY BENT ENDS OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS IN A FIXED RELATIONSHIP TO FORM TWO INVERTED GENERALLY U-SHAPED LEG MEMBERS COOPERATING WITH SAID BODY TO FORM A FOUR-LEGGED, VERTICALLY UPRIGHT FRAME. 